Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has congratulated tourism businesses in North Wales for winning prestigious awards.
Mr Rowlands, Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Tourism in Welsh Parliament and a keen supporter of the industry in North Wales, said he was delighted to see so many successful businesses honoured.
He said:
Everybody knows how passionate I am about encouraging tourism in my region of North Wales and I was really pleased to show my support by attending the Go North Wales Tourism Awards for 2023 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
It really was really great to see so many businesses receiving the recognition they deserve after what has been an extremely tough few years.
Tourism was one of the hardest hit industries during and post Covid with very little help coming from the Welsh Labour Government which continues to chip away at this sector.
There were so many worthy winners coming from all across North Wales, too many to list, but a special mention should go to Llangollen Railway who won the Go Attraction of the Year. I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with volunteers who against all odds have managed to keep the heritage railway up and running and it continues to thrive thanks to their hard work and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The town of Llangollen also scooped the Go B&B / Inn and Guest House of the Year 2023 with the Riversdale House, Llangollen.
I would also like to congratulate Go Below Underground Adventures based near Betws y Coed who won two awards on the night the Go North Wales Experience of the Year and Go Resilience and Innovation Award.
Wrexham also featured highly in the awards with Rossett Hall Hotel winning the Go Large Hotel of the Year 2023 and the Lemon Tree in the town being awarded Go Eating Out Experience of the Year 2023. Well done to all the winners.
Time and time again I have raised tourism issues in Welsh Parliament yet my calls always seem to fall on deaf ears. Tourism is big business in North Wales, in particular, yet the Labour Welsh Government continue to hamper its growth with its crippling 182 day holiday let regulations and the soon to be introduced tourism tax.
Against this adversity our tourism industry is still strong and these awards demonstrate how important this sector is to North Wales.
Sam Rowlands AS yn canmol enillwyr gwobrau twristiaeth Go North Wales
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi llongyfarch busnesau twristiaeth yn y gogledd am ennill gwobrau o fri.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Cadeirydd y Grŵp Trawsbleidiol ar Dwristiaeth yn Senedd Cymru ac un o gefnogwyr brwd y diwydiant yn y gogledd, ei fod yn falch iawn o weld cymaint o fusnesau llwyddiannus yn cael eu hanrhydeddu.
Dywedodd:
Mae pawb yn gwybod pa mor angerddol ydw i am annog twristiaeth i ogledd Cymru, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o ddangos fy nghefnogaeth drwy fynychu seremoni gwobrau twristiaeth Go North Wales 2023 yn Venue Cymru yn Llandudno.
Roedd yn wych gweld cymaint o fusnesau’n derbyn cydnabyddiaeth haeddiannol ar ôl blynyddoedd anodd dros ben.
Twristiaeth oedd un o’r diwydiannau a gafodd eu taro galetaf yn ystod ac ar ôl Covid, gydag ychydig iawn o gymorth o du Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, sy’n parhau i wanychu’r sector hwn.
Roedd cymaint o enillwyr teilwng o bob cwr o’r gogledd, gormod i’w rhestru, ond mae Rheilffordd Llangollen yn haeddu sylw arbennig am ennill gwobr atyniad y flwyddyn. Yn ddiweddar, cefais y pleser o gyfarfod â gwirfoddolwyr sydd, er gwaethaf pawb a phopeth, wedi llwyddo i gadw trenau i redeg. Diolch i’w gwaith caled, mae’r rheilffordd dreftadaeth yn dal i ffynnu ac yn denu miloedd o ymwelwyr bob blwyddyn. Aeth y wobr am dafarn neu westy gwely a brecwast i Langollen hefyd, diolch i lwyddiant Riversdale House.
Hoffwn hefyd longyfarch Go Below Underground Adventures ger Betws-y-Coed a enillodd ddwy wobr ar y noson, gwobr profiad y flwyddyn a gwobr cadernid ac arloesi.
Roedd Wrecsam hefyd yn uchel yn y gwobrau gyda gwesty Rossett Hall yn ennill gwobr gwesty mawr y flwyddyn a’r Lemon Tree yn y ddinas yn ennill gwobr profiad bwyta allan 2023. Llongyfarchiadau i’r holl enillwyr.
Dro ar ôl tro, rydw i wedi crybwyll materion twristiaeth yn Senedd Cymru ond mae fy ngalwadau’n cael eu diystyru’n gyson. Mae twristiaeth yn fusnes pwysig yn y gogledd yn benodol, ac eto mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn parhau i lesteirio ei dwf gyda’r rheol 182 diwrnod ar dai gwyliau a’r dreth dwristiaeth a fydd yn cael ei chyflwyno cyn bo hir.
Mae ein diwydiant twristiaeth yn dal ei dir, er gwaetha’r holl anawsterau, ac mae’r gwobrau hyn yn dangos pa mor bwysig yw’r sector hwn i’r gogledd.
